Under the Care of the Wolf
by New Pen Name 13
Summary: During a battle with a missing nin, two jutsus accidentally combine and Naruto, Sakura, and Sasuke find that they are five years old again, with Kakashi in charge of looking after them.
1. how it all began

So, this is my very first Naruto fan fiction. Yepo it is, full of ninja-eey goodness and cheese..later. but the ninja goodness is all the way through, it's the crust of this Naruto story pizza, whereas the cheese stuffs the crust. If you review, I promise to not post when I am half asleep and make metaphors to pizza.

Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto, and I'm only writing this once so this goes for all the following chapters of this story too.

NINJA!NINJA!NINJA!NINJA!NINJA!NINJA!NINJA!NINJA!NINJA!

"Get out of the way!" Move it!"

"I can't-"

"Sensei, help!"

"Dammit!" Kakashi Hatake sprung forward towards his students. He refused to let his entire team die in front of his eyes, not again. Feet crashed against hard earth, hands began to move in a flurry of complex hand signs; his breath came out in short gasps as his heart seemed to cease beating, time stopped for Kakashi in that moment.

The instant he finished the jutsu, a bright light surrounded his entire team, an explosion. The Copy Nin was thrown back by the force, landing on his back he was pulled further and further away from his destination. He tried to flip himself around but there was too much momentum, he dug his fingers into the tough dirt beneath him. Jagged rocks that made up most of the terrain tore through his hands, ripping away strips of flesh and leaving a long trail of blood upon the dusty ground.

As the great ninja came to a stop his head flicked to where his team was. Dust floating down slowly, he couldn't tell if they were alright, if he had completed his jutsu in time. Kakashi sprinted forward on legs that burned from exhaustion, into the cloud of dirt that veiled his team from his view.

"No-" A quiet voice spoke Kakashi's thoughts for him. His team, _his team, _that bastard had killed them. All that remained were their tattered clothes, filled only with the chunks of their bodied that didn't disintegrate in the violent blast. The ground was a solid crimson with blood, blood of children barely old enough to be considered shinobi. The area was littered with bits of bone and flesh, a hatai-ate caught on a rock still had a cherry-blossom-pink lock of hair tangled around it. Kakashi couldn't breath, his body was trapped in the icy grip of shock.

"Looks like you weren't quick enough to save 'em, huh Copy Nin?" A scratchy voice pulled Kakashi's attention from the scene before him and up to the one who had caused it. The enemy stood grinning at the carnage at his feet, taking pleasure in his accomplishment. He laughed a bit when Kakashi didn't reply, his eyes glistened as he brushed his dark hair away with his hand, waiting.

"You will die for this." A voice announced to no one. The Copy Nin stared at the missing ninja from Rain; the one who had turned this C-rank mission into a S-rank. They had only been gennin, three twelve year olds just out of the academy. Kakashi hadn't been able to save them, just like the others. He hadn't been able to save them, but he would avenge them.

The missing nin shifted his gaze from the deep red of the sharingan that seemed to stare into his soul. He gasped as the great Copy Ninja darted forward, so fast, all his eyes saw was a blur racing toward him. Reaching into his jacket, he pulled out a handful of shuriken and threw them at his opponent and without thinking leapt into the air to avoid any attack.

Kakashi dodged the projectiles and jumped up after the antagonist of the gruesome battle. His bloody, torn hand found the man's hair and pulled his head toward the kunai knife poised in the other hand. He thrust the blade into the man's traitorous neck, nearly cutting all the way through. Blood sprayed over both of the ninjas, more blood to stain the jounin's already dyed hands.

His feet hit the ground with a dull thud, the head of the missing nin, still clutched in Kakashi's grip, completely detached from it's body on the impact of landing. The headless corpse fell to the dirt, blood still leaking from the neck. He tossed the head onto the body of the man he had just killed and turned back to the three gennin.

His hand pulled down his hatai-ate to cover his sharingan without thinking as his legs led him to the remains of his team. The Copy nin collapsed onto his knees beside them, trying to remain calm like the shinobi he was suppose to be. He couldn't tell if he wanted to scream or throw up, he felt like he was suffocating; the mask he had always relied on was cutting off all oxygen from his lungs. He tore it away from his face and gasped for air, pulling in as much air as his lungs could handle before pushing it out and inhaling as fast as he could again.

Grasping for control, Kakashi dug his fingers into the blood stained dirt and squeezed his eyes shut against the tears that worked their way out despite his efforts. He chocked on one sob, then another as he fought to follow the rules of being a ninja.

"Dammit!" He screamed to the empty wasteland that surrounded him. Tears began to rain down his face in torrents, drenching the mask that hung loosly aroung his neck. He wrapped his arms around his battered body tightly and looked to his former students. "Sakura, Naruto, Sasuke... I-I'm sorry." He dropped his gaze back to the earth as his body surrendered to the cries he could no longer contain.

NINJA!NINJA!NINJA!NINJA!NINJA!NINJA!NINJA!

Ok, so it's short, I know... I'm not a fast typer, I usually write in a notebook. Oh, but there's a big twist next chapter (look at the summery hint hint) and I already started typing it out. By the way, if I got anything wrong like spelling of ninja stuff or well, anything, please let me know, oh, and if it was good or bad and why. Thanks!

PS: i can't think of a title for my story, suggestions are welcome!


	2. what happened?

I have a title! Props to Motif for suggesting it! I also got reviews! Thanks to everyone who took the time to review, I will not even mention pizza, well just to say that I won't say anything about it, which I just did sooo no more talk of... the tomato sauce and cheese covered word that starts with a "P". On to the story!

Team7-Team7-Team7-Team7-Team7-Team7-Team7-Team7-Team7-Team7-Team7-Team7

just a recap:

"Dammit!" He screamed to the empty wasteland that surrounded him. Tears began to rain down his face in torrents, drenching the mask that hung loosely around his neck. He wrapped his arms around his battered body tightly and looked to his former students. "Sakura, Naruto, Sasuke... I-I'm sorry." He dropped his gaze back to the earth as his body surrendered to the cries he could no longer contain.

Team7-Team7-Team7-Team7-Team7-Team7-Team7-Team7-Team7-Team7-Team7-Team7

"Sensei-?"

Kakashi's head snapped up toward the quiet voice that had called him, he froze at what he saw. A young girl, about four or five years old, sat on the blood soaked battlefield, Sakura's clothing draped over her small frame like a blanket.

"Senei, are you alright?" She asked in a small voice, her eyes filed with tears at the sight of him crying.

"Sa-kura...?" Kakashi stared at the child with her light pink hair and green eyes in disbelief. "Is that really you?"

"Yeah, of course, Kakashi-sensei," she tilted her head in confusion. "What's wrong? Why are you-" She glanced around her and saw Naruto and Sasuke's tattered clothes, surrounded by blood. "What happened to Sasuke and Naruto?" She yelled, panic thick in her voice as she turned back to Kakashi.

"Huh? What do you mean, Sakura-chan? I'm right here... Aah!" Both Sakura and Kakashi looked to the source of the high pitched voice they had heard, a thrashing pile of Naruto's clothes. "Help! I'm trapped! I can't see!"

The Copy nin stepped over to the battle-worn, orange jumpsuit and pulled it downward so that the head of a much smaller Naruto was visible. The boy's hair was as disheveled as ever and his clear blue eyes held that same energy they always did. Kakashi was sure that the two toddlers were actually his students, but if he was surprised to see them in the state they were in, he didn't let it show on his face.

"Kakashi-sensei?" Naruto's eyes widened at seeing his instructor, for a moment Kakashi thought whatever had happened to his team had some effect on him as well, and began to worry. "You're not wearing your-" Before the boy could even his sentence, Kakashi whipped around and pulled up his mask, turning back to Naruto afterward. "-mask..." His face lit up with glee, and he sat up suddenly. "I SAW KAKASHI-SENSEI WITHOUT HIS MASK ON!" He yelled as loud as he possibly could, Kakashi winced slightly at the noice. "Sakura! Did you see?" Naruto looked past his teacher and finally noticed the small girl sitting across from him, her mouth slightly open in a sign of shock. "What..." confusion appeared on his features. "Where's Sakura...?"

"That is Sakura, something happened to all of you during the battle." Kakashi replied, referring to all three of the gennin. He was certain that Sasuke was in the same predicament as the others, although he wasn't awake yet.

"What happened?" A new voice caught The Copy ninja's attention. A very young Sasuke was conscious and was waiting for an answer to his question, he wore his usual scowl but seemed concerned about the situation. Sakura's jaw widened even more at seeing the other member of her team, she began to breath quicker as her eyes darted between Sasuke and Naruto. Suddenly, she was still, she looked down at her own body and gasped.

"Kakashi-sensei! What's wrong with us?" She watched her teacher for he answer, trying not to panic and believing that he could "fix" whatever had happened.

"I-"

"AHH! I've shrunk!" Naruto shouted before Kakashi had a chance to speak. He looked up from his body to his teammates, finally realizing what had happened. "So have Sakura and Sasuke!"

"We already know that, dobe." Sasuke snapped irritably.

"Shut up, bastard!" Naruto snapped back, more from second nature then anger; he was too focused on what was wrong to concentrate on anything else.

"Please let Sensei tell us what happened!" Sakura pleaded with the two boys, tears threatening to overflow at any moment. Naruto and Sasuke both turned to Kakashi who had sat down and was watching his students thoughtfully. There was a pause as Kakashi appeared to consider the situation.

"Well," he started out. "I'm not exactly sure." Shock painted each of the children's faces, Kakashi put on a wide smile to reassure them. "Don't worry about it, though. Everything'll be fine."

"How can you say that?" Sakura shouted at him. "You don't even know what happened to us!" She let her gaze fall to the ground, and clenched her fists; she didn't want to cry again.

"Was it the jutsu that missing nin did?" Sasuke asked thoughtfully. Kakashi dropped his smile as he remembered back to the battle, he had thought his entire team was dead.

"No," He didn't even consider that the jutsu had been the cause of the transformation. "He thought that he had killed you all, and I've never heard of a jutsu that could make a person younger before."

"Maybe it was magic?" Naruto asked seriously, Sasuke made a small annoyed noise and Sakura ignored him, too upset to pay attention to the conversation.

"I don't think magic is real, Naruto." Kakashi said, his smile back on his face. Naruto seemed unhappy his suggestion had been wrong and started to sulk. The Copy nin turned to Sasuke , who was currently standing up and trying to tailor his clothes to fit his smaller frame. "Good, Sasuke. Naruto, Sakura." Both looked to their teacher as he stood. "Fix your clothes like Sasuke is, we have a mission to finish."

"No Way!" Naruto exclaimed, jumping to his feet. "We can't do a mission like _this_!" He made wild arm motions, gesturing to himself and his teammates.

"Naruto's right, Sensei!" Sakura agreed, jumping up beside Naruto. "How are we suppose to fight? We're probably about six years old right now!"

"Actually, I'd say you were five... at the most." Kakashi remarked thoughtfully. "But we all have a duty to Konoha, to finish the mission we set out on." He smiled down at his tiny students, although all they could see was the curving of his eye. "And I'll be right there in case something happens."

All three children exchanged doubtful expressions, but didn't comment. Naruto and Sakura set to work tightening their own clothes, Naruto mumbling about how it was unfair, and Sakura silently agreeing with him. When all three had finished, they looked like they were playing dress-up in their parents clothes. Kakashi had to resist to urge to laugh as he examined them with his half lidded gaze.

"Alright, let's go." He turned and began to walk away, the three gennin started to follow him when Naruto spoke.

"Wait a minute, Kakashi-sensei," his teacher glanced back at the blonde haired boy. "I have to go to the bathroom."

"Why didn't you go before tyeing up your clothes?" Sakura yelled at him, pointing her finger at the knots in the fabric accusingly.

"I don't know, I guess I forgot I had too," Naruto grinned sheepishly at her.

"Dobe." Sasuke stated for the second time since the battle had ended. He rolled his eyes at the other boy in contempt.

"Why don't you just shut up, Sasuke-bastard!" Naruto screamed. Kakashi sighed and pulled out the orange book from his vest pocket.

"Go to the bathroom, Naruto," He said, without looking up from the pages before him.

Team7-Team7-Team7-Team7-Team7-Team7-Team7-Team7-Team7-Team7-Team7-Team7

It's longer then my last chapter... slightly. But the next chapter will be even longer! Believe it!

I have finally delivered on the promise of summery, team seven (Kakashi not included) are now five years old.

They all seem the same at first, but that will change soon.

PS (again): I can't think of a good mission for them to be on, a C-rank one is all I know. I promise not to ask for suggestions again after this, cross my heart! But, again, suggestions for missions are welcome!

PPS: I tried to keep everyone in character, but I'm not sure if I did...


	3. we're there!

Yay! I'm updating again! Here it is! Written at a time most people are sleeping, or waking up, it is now finished! The chapter, I mean. It may be OOC... But I tried not to do that. Thanks for all of the great reviews and thanks blue-gejutsu for the mission idea! The reviews keep me from killing off all of the characters in the story! XD Just kidding... or am I?

Walking...Walking...Walking...Walking...Walking...Walking...Walking...Walking...Walking...Walking...

Recap!

"Wait a minute, Kakashi-sensei," his teacher glanced back at the blonde haired boy. "I have to go to the bathroom."

"Why didn't you go before tyeing up your clothes?" Sakura yelled at him, pointing her finger at the knots in the fabric accusingly.

"I don't know, I guess I forgot I had too," Naruto grinned sheepishly at her.

"Dobe." Sasuke stated for the second time since the battle had ended. He rolled his eyes at the other boy in contempt.

"Why don't you just shut up, Sasuke-bastard!" Naruto screamed. Kakashi sighed and pulled out the orange book from his vest pocket.

"Go to the bathroom, Naruto," He said, without looking up from the pages before him.

Walking...Walking...Walking...Walking...Walking...Walking...Walking...Walking...Walking...Walking...

"Are we almost there?"

The Sharrigan Kakashi, the great Copy Ninja, sighed as he turned his head to look back at the three children that trailed behind him. Uzamaki Naruto, the small one in the back drowning between the pile of blonde hair on his head and the too-big orange jumpsuit draped around his body, struggled to keep up to the rest of the team.

"You just asked five minutes ago!" Sakura chastised the boy, although she seemed to be exhausted herself.

"But it feels like we've been walking forever!" He protested, pushing the unruly blonde hair out of his eyes. "How much longer 'till we're there Kakashi-sensei?"

"You'll know when we're there, Naruto," Kakashi said, as he turned away and continued walking toward their destination. He was aware that the entire team was tired due to the long walk across the desert like terrain.

"But I don't think I can go on muck longer, Sensei!" Naruto whined loudly. Sasuke rolled his eyes, Sakura glanced back at him, and Kakashi still continued to move forward without bothering to answer. Suddenly, the Copy Nin felt a tug on his pant leg and looked down to see a pleading Naruto.

"Please Kakashi-sensei? Will you carry me?"

"Naruto, I'm not a babysitter," he replied, sounding bored with the conversation.

"Aww, come on!" I'm not as big as I use to be!" The small boy continued to tug on the jounin's pants as he talked. "You won't even notice!"

"Naruto," Kakashi said, kneeling down to be at the same height as his student. "Sakura and Sasuke are tired too, it wouldn't be fair if I carried you and they had to walk, would it?" He stared at the gennin with his half lidded eye, waiting for an answer.

"No, I guess not..." Naruto agreed slowly. Kakashi stood up and started to walk away, when Naruto jumped onto the jounin's back and wrapped his chubby arms around his neck. "See Kakashi-sensei? You won't even notice I'm here!"

"Naruto..." Kakashi grumbled, beginning to sound extremely annoyed. He was about to flip the obnoxious gennin off of his back when a small voice caught his attention.

"Uh, Sensei?" Sakura said quietly, nervously twisting the folds of lose material that hung off her smaller body. "Actually, I'm really tired too."

"Alright," the silver haired ninja sighed, he looked down to the other two children on his team. "Just this once, because of what's happened," he said in defeat, referring to the fact that all three gennins were now five years old. Kakashi bent down and lifted the pink clad little girl onto his hip and was about to pick up Sasuke when the boy backed away.

"I can walk on my own," the dark eyed boy said, voice filled with contempt for his teammates. Sakura seemed hurt by the Uchiha's tone and Naruto glared at his rival, but both were too exhausted to declare that they too would walk.

"If that's what you want, Sasuke," Kakashi shrugged his shoulders as he continued his trek across the rocky terrine. Team seven traveled in silence, the heat of the sun too hot on their backs.

Sakura glanced back at Sasuke, squinting her eyes against the harsh afternoon light. The young boy struggled to keep going under the desert conditions, dragging his bare feet along the jagged rocks that littered the ground. Naruto yawned loudly and rested his head on his sensei's shoulder, about to fall asleep.

"Sasuke-kun, are you alright?" Sakura seemed concerned as she looked back. Sasuke continued to walk without looking up or acknowledging Sakura at all. "Sasuke-kun...?" Sakura looked up to Kakashi, "Sensei, is Sasuke alright?" Kakashi stopped and looked down at his student, he noticed that the boy was gradually falling behind.

"Try to keep up, Sasuke," He sounded nonchalant as always, despite how weary the toddler following him seemed to be. Sakura's mouth opened in disbelief and anger that her sensei was not going to do anything to help her teammate.

"I would keep up, if I wasn't half the size I normally am," Sasuke growled out, sounding as menacing as a five year old can. Kakashi stared at the Uchiha boy, considering the situation, or at least appearing to. He suddenly reached out, grabbed the child's wrist and hoisted him up onto his hip. "Huh? Put me down!" Sasuke seemed to be surprised and was noticeably upset.

"Now, Sasuke. I would like to get to the Rock village before next week," Kakashi childed with a wide smile. Sasuke struggled even more in his sensei's grasp, trying to twist away unsuccessfully. Kakashi started toward the village he knew wasn't too far away from where the team currently was, ignoring the tiny child flailing in his hold.

Naruto grinned at his rival's discomfort, storing away the memory for a later fight when he could bring it up and embarrass the number one rookie. The blonde sighed impatiently and climbed up onto Kakashi's shoulders, rested his chin on the jounin's head and began to drift into a dreamless sleep.

Walking...Walking...Walking...Walking...Walking...Walking...Walking...Walking...Walking...Walking...

"Wake up, everybody." Kakashi woke the genin he was carrying, all of whom had fallen asleep during the trip, even Sasuke. "We're at the village," The Copy nin scanned the surrounding area discreetly, making sure that there was no one waiting to attack the leaf team. The three children began stir, yawning and all unsure exactly where they were at the moment.

"Kakashi-sensei?" Sakura rubbed at her half closed eyes with her small fist. "Wha-where are we?" Kakashi gently set her and Sasuke down on the semi-busy street then gingerly plucked Naruto off of his shoulders and set him onto the ground as well. All seemed surprised for a moment, forgetting what had happened to them during the last battle.

"Aww, I was hoping it was just a weird dream," Naruto said with a disheartened sigh, one that would have seemed far too old for a twelve year old, nevermind the five year old it came from. He kept his gaze aimed toward the ground as his teammates did, depression had hit all three at the same time.

"It's not that bad," Kakashi tried to reassure his team. "The Hokage will probably know what to do about this." He put a hand on both Sasuke and Naruto's heads, as Sakura was standing the farthest away, and knelt down so he could see all of their faces. "Hey," he said, when no one replied. "We don't officially start the mission until tomorrow, you can all do whatever you want until then."

"You really think the old man can fix us?" Naruto asked, actually quiet and thoughtful. Sasuke and Sakura both looked to their sensei for his answer.

"Yeah, I don't think your guys' condition is anything to worry about, you'll probably be back to normal before we even get back to Konoha." Kakashi gave them his best reassuring smile and ruffled Sasuke and Naruto's hair before standing. Naruto grinned up at the older ninja, believing every word he had said. Both Sakura and Sasuke appeared to be appeased.

"So we can do anything until tomorrow?" Naruto asked cautiously. Sakura looked at him while she wondered what Naruto would want to do in a village they had never even been to before. Kakashi nodded his head, he wondered if he had made a mistake, saying that to Naruto. "GREAT! Let's go get some ramen!" The blonde boy jumped up exitedly. "You're paying, right sensei?"

"...fine, I'll pay, Naruto." He figured Naruto wouldn't be able to eat as much as he could before.

His one visible eye widened a bit as the smallest member of his team jumped up to latch onto his neck. "Hey-"

"KAKASHI-SENSEI! I LOVE YOU!" Naruto yelled as Kakashi tried to shake the boy off of him.

"Hey stop, let go of me..." He protested as he tried to regain his balance. Naruto dropped to the ground, still grinning. The team started toward the nearest ramen shop with Naruto leading the way, claiming to know where they were going as he could smell the ramen already.

The Rock village was actually a busy merchant town, with all types of vendors lining the edges of the streets; team seven's mission was to escort a Konoha merchant back to the leaf village safely, it wasn't meant to be difficult. They would most likely see no violence all the way back to their home. It had been a strange coincidence that a missing-nin had targeted Kakashi during the C-rank mission. But as far as Kakashi could tell, he had acted alone and there was no need to worry about another attack while they finished the task they had set out on.

People hurried back and forth on the sort of crowded streets around the four ninja. The smell of spices was thick in the air, causing Sakura to sneeze and fall behind the rest of the group, she sniffed and rubbed her itchy nose before continuing. She was about to rejoin her team when a pair of young girls, about seven or so, ran into her.

"Hey!" She gave to two kids a disapproving stare, forgetting that she was now younger then them. "Watch where you're going!" Sakura smoothed down her pink locks and was about to walk by the girls, when they moved to block her path.

"You watch where you're going!" One of the children said.

"You two were the one's who ran into me," Sakura pointed out, shaking her index finger at the kids.

"Well, you could have hurt one of us with that huge forehead!" One of the small girls retorted, tapping her own forehead as she did so. Her friend grinned and nodded her head.

"Yeah! You can't tell us what to do... Forehead girl!" The other little girl smiled proudly at the name she had thought up. She brushed her light brown hair from her eyes as she turned to her friend, who was giggling at the new insult.

"Yeah, Forehead girl!" The first girl added, while the two giggled. Sakura didn't know what to do, no one had teased her about her forehead or anything since she was much younger and less confident in herself. She wasn't sure how to react at the two kids, who were younger then she _really_ was

_"_Stupid, kids." Sakura growled angrily, she glared at the children. "Just get out of my way." She wanted to catch up to her team, who hadn't noticed she had fallen behind yet. The two girls glared back at her, insulted.

"Get out of _our_ way," one of the girls said as she pushed Sakura to the ground and walked by her, the other following behind. Sakura sat on the dusty street in a daze, unsure of what to do, some instinct quickly bubbling to the surface was telling her to cry. Kakashi was the first to notice and stopped the two boys before approaching the small girl.

"What happened...?" He drawled out, looking around quizzingly. Sakura looked up at him trying to hold back tears that were already working themselves out, she brought her knees up to her chest and wrapped her arms around them.

"They p-pushed me-" She said between sniffles, wiping at her cheeks. "And they called me..." The genin began to cry softly burying her face between her arms and knees. Kakashi knelt down, ignoring the angry stares and mumbles of people who had to work their way around him. The small visible section of his face showed his surprise.

"Sakura, this isn't like you," his voice was laced with genuine worry; not if she was hurt, he could tell she was fine, but if whatever had happened to the three genin was getting worse. He reached out and gently tilted her chin up so she was looking at him.

"I know Kakashi-sensei!" The little girl sobbed, trying to stop her cries. "I just, I can't help it!" With that she lunged forward and attached herself to the jounin's vest, her small fists holding on tightly to the fabric. "What's wrong with me?" She asked, her voice muffled.

"I..don't know.." Kakashi froze for a second, shocked to have one of his students crying, literally, on his shoulder. "Uh, it's okay, Sakura." He paused and put his arms around the upset child. Naruto and Sasuke both watched the scene, each seemed surprised but Sasuke also appeared to be in thought.

"Is this a side affect of what happened to us?" Sasuke said seriously, trying to make his voice sound lower then it was. Kakashi looked at him and stood up, lifting Sakura onto his hip as he did so.

"Possibly, but remember that no jutsu is permanent." Sakura had buried her face in Kakashi's jounin vest and her cries had given way to soft hiccups. "Whatever has happened to you three will wear off eventually, even though it wasn't a jutsu."

"Is Sakura-chan alright?" Naruto asked, tugging on the Copy nin's pant leg for attention. Worry evident in his clear blue eyes.

"Sakura's fine," Kakashi replied, though the girl still refused to look up at anybody. "I think some kids just called her some names and pushed her, nothing serious."

"Why'd they do that?" Naruto looked around for said kids. "I'll show them not to mess with Team seven!" He yelled out, causing everyone around to stare at the group of four.

"Uh, Why don't we get some ramen first, Naruto?" Kakashi said, trying to distract the hyperactive ninja. He smiled at the people who walked by, glaring at the blonde boy.

"Oh yeah! Ramen!" Naruto rushed off in the direction the four had been going before. Kakashi sighed tiredly and followed the genin, but he had to admit that even though they were a handful, his team was cute.

Walking...Walking...Walking...Walking...Walking...Walking...Walking...Walking...Walking...Walking...

My chapters just keep getting longer, soon they'll be mega long... or normal size, you know, whatever comes first. I was listening to Kakashi's theme while I wrote this, does that make me lame? Probably, but it's such a cool song! Anyways, I'm not sure if I got all the technical ninja-y stuff right, so if I'm wrong about something, let me know, okay?

PS: Thanks for all of the suggestions!

PPS: heh, sorry about all of the post notes, but I don't really understand the titles that follow names, such as kun, or san, or chan. I know they mean different things but that's as far as my knowledge on the matter goes. Does anyone know a site that explains what they are and mean? It would be super ultra helpful! Thanks!


	4. stuck?

Woot! Thanks for all of the great reviews and suggestions so far! They keep me feeling guilty about not updating right away, which is a good thing since I'm distracted easily and lose interest in things... What was I saying? I mean writing, or, uh, typing.. now I have lost my train of thought. Hmm, I wonder why it's called a 'train' of thought? Why not direction of thought?

Well enjoy the story! please...?

MISSION!MISSION!MISSION!MISSION!MISSION!MISSION!MISSION!MISSION!

RECAP!

"Sakura's fine," Kakashi replied, though the girl still refused to look up at anybody. "I think some kids just called her some names and pushed her, nothing serious."

"Why'd they do that?" Naruto looked around for said kids. "I'll show them not to mess with Team seven!" He yelled out, causing everyone around to stare at the group of four.

"Uh, Why don't we get some ramen first, Naruto?" Kakashi said, trying to distract the hyperactive ninja. He smiled at the people who walked by, glaring at the blonde boy.

"Oh yeah! Ramen!" Naruto rushed off in the direction the four had been going before. Kakashi sighed tiredly and followed the genin, but he had to admit that even though they were a handful, his team was cute.

MISSION!MISSION!MISSION!MISSION!MISSION!MISSION!MISSION!MISSION!

"Kakashi-sensei, I am not wearing _this_!" A pink haired little girl held out a ratty white shirt, covered in various unknown stains, and a pair of torn brown shorts as she looked up at her teacher distastefully. She held the obviously used clothing away from her body as if she were afraid she would catch something from them.

"Now, Sakura," Kakashi drawled out. "You can't make the trip back in your normal clothes, and these were the only clothes that I could find that would fit you." He looked away to Naruto and Sasuke before the girl could even reply to what he had said. He had just returned from his trip to find outfits that the genin wouldn't have to drag along with them as they made their way back to the Leaf village. All three students had slept in their regular clothes the previous night, as Kakashi had been too exhausted to do anything about it until morning.

"Where did you find them, a dumpster?" The young girl mumbled as she stomped away to get changed, slamming the bathroom door behind her. Naruto and Sasuke both looked toward the source of the loud noise, but Naruto's attention was soon pulled away by another distraction.

"So where're my new clothes, Sensei?" He asked, bouncing up and down with excitement and searching the room with his eyes almost frantically. He continued to look all around the room of the Inn they had just spent the night in, not waiting for the answer to his question. Kakashi pulled an outfit out from his back pack and held it out to the hyperactive child. "WHAT? NO WAY I"M WEARING THAT!" Naruto exclaimed, glaring at the jounin. Sasuke saw the outfit Kakashi had picked for his rival and slowly a smile spread across his face. In Kakashi's hand was a bright pink sleeveless shirt, decorated by images of purple butterflies, and matching pants.

"Naruto, I already told Sakura, you can't wear your old clothes on the trip back, you won't be able to travel all that way weighed down like that, and I am not carrying you three again," Kakashi sighed and continued to hold out the small outfit.

"Why can't Sakura-chan and I trade?" Naruto wined, as the pink clothing was shoved into his arms. "She always wears pink anyway!"

"You're a lot smaller then Sakura is," Kakashi explained, ignoring the glare he got from Naruto. "The clothes I got you would be too small on her and the clothes I got her, too big on you." At this Sasuke began to chuckle lightly, causing Naruto to become even more upset.

"Shut up, Sasuke you bastard!" He yelled at the other boy as he shrugged out of the giant orange jump suit and began to put on the pink pants.

"Sasuke.." Kakashi had a huge grin as he looked to the last genin, Sasuke stopped laughing and suddenly began to get worried. "I got you some new clothes, too," The only thing that kept Sasuke's attention was his morbid curiosity at what horrendous outfit the jounin had picked out for him. Kakashi reached into his pack and pulled out the last set of children's clothing.

"No." That was all the boy said as he turned away from the, apparently sadistic, older ninja. Naruto began to laugh loudly, almost falling down in his glee. He still hadn't put on the pink shirt, but he pointed and laughed at the Uchiha.

"This isn't a request, Sasuke." Kakashi's mood had instantly switched from carefree to serious as he spoke to the small child. "This is part of your mission, unless you suddenly feel like giving up and going back to the academy."

Sasuke made a small "pfft" noise as he took the embarrassing outfit from his sensei, and begrudgingly started to put it on. He cringed as he pulled on the outfit that was exactly like Naruto's, only covered in purple hearts rather then butterflies. He suddenly wished that he was the same size as Sakura, instead of being the biggest in the group.

Naruto was still giggling as he and Sasuke finished dressing, having completely forgotten that he was wearing practically the same thing as the other boy. Kakashi pulled the infamous orange book from his pocket, leafing through it casually as the two genin shoved their old clothes into their back packs.

Sakura emerged from the bathroom hesitantly, her clothes already in her back pack, which was held in front of her as though she was hiding behind it. She had done her best to look presentable, combing out her hair and washing her face, but the clothes still made her look like a disheveled kid who hadn't washed up in too long of a time. She tried to avoid looking at anyone, but a flash of pink in the corner of her eye brought her gaze to the two pink-clad boys. Slowly a smile crept onto Sakura's face, she fought back the laughs that threatened to burst out of her.

"Yo, Sakura." Kakashi greeted lazily, without looking up from his book. "You ready to go?"

"Ahh, yes," Sakura brought her hand to her mouth to cover the smile that was still growing larger. Sasuke ignored the amused giggles of his teammates and walked to the door without saying a word, his glare resembling more of a pout on his younger face. Naruto and Sakura both slung their packs over their shoulders and followed the Uchiha, Kakashi exited the room last, closing the door behind him.

MISSION!MISSION!MISSION!MISSION!MISSION!MISSION!MISSION!MISSION!

"What! You can't be serious! They're barely old enough to walk, let alone protect anybody!" A tall, thin man stood before team seven gawking at Kakashi as though he were insane. He looked down at the genin and back up to their silver haired sensei in disbelief.

"Well, their appearance has been altered due to a ninja technique," Kakashi tried to explain. "They're actually much older then they look," He waited for the man's reaction, as he was talking to the merchant they were suppose to escort back to konoha. The man shook his head slowly, turning to the large pack sitting an the ground beside him.

"I just got back from a huge trade, I've got a lot to lose if I get ambushed by any thieves," the middle aged man ran his hand through his hair tiredly. "I can't put a season's worth of earning in the hands of a few toddlers."

"I'll be there as well," Kakashi reassured the merchant. "I can take care of anything that could possibly happen, I _am _a jounin." The man stared at him uncertainly, not quite convinced. Kakashi sighed, he wanted to get this over with and get back to the village as soon as he could. He wasn't sure if any other "side-effects" were going to show up, and he didn't want to find out. "I'm sure that the Hokage will make sure you get a discount on the mission price for your trouble..."

The man considered, and picked up his oversized yellow pack. "Alright then, let's go." Kakashi sighed inwardly and led the way out of the rock village.

MISSION!MISSION!MISSION!MISSION!MISSION!MISSION!MISSION!MISSION!

They arrived at the village as the sun was resting upon the top branches of the trees, nothing had stopped them during the entire trip. All three genin were tired out from the long trek, they all sat down on the cool grass that covered the ground as soon as Kakashi signaled them to stop walking. The trip had been uneventful, even Naruto hadn't done anything too outrageous. Kakashi let his eyes close for a moment, taking in the cool breeze and shade of the Leaf village.

"Well, thanks for the escort," The merchant, Kazema, said unenthusiastically. He nodded to Kakashi, and then to the shorter members of team seven. "You too, girls," he added as he turned and headed toward his home, or where ever he was going.

"...Girls?" Sakura said softly, not understanding what he had meant. She turned to the rest of the team; Kakashi seemed to be amused, but both Sasuke and Naruto looked like they were about to kill the man.

"HEY! COME BACK HERE!" Naruto shouted, getting to his feet and rushing forward, only to be stopped by Kakashi. "I'LL SHOW YOU WHO'S A GIRL!" The blonde boy struggled to free himself of the jounin's grasp.

"...Naruto, calm down.."

"That bastard called us girls!" Naruto yelled at Sasuke. "Aren't you going to do anything about it, Sasuke?"

"...Well, you do look like a girl in those clothes, dobe." Sasuke replied, a smirk settling on his face.

"You're wearing the same thing I am! That means you look like a girl too, bastard!"

"Hn," Sasuke turned away, not losing the small grin. "Aren't we going to see the Hokage?" Sakura stood up and nodded, Kakashi lifted the still struggling Naruto and carried him under one arm like a football.

"Arrg! Let me go!" Naruto demanded, flailing his arms and legs wildly.

MISSION!MISSION!MISSION!MISSION!MISSION!MISSION!MISSION!MISSION!

"So, there's nothing you can do," Kakashi said flatly, his voice void of any hint of emotion as he looked blankly ahead. The room filled with an thick silence and the Copy nin was glad his team had been ordered to wait outside while the Hokage explained what had happened, as much as he could. The large room was lit only by candle light, a smoky scent hung in the air between the two ninjas.

"Not right now, no," the Third said slowly, he turned to the door to the room, the three genin waited behind it. He hadn't wanted them to know that even he wasn't sure of what had happened to them. His only guess had been that the missing nin's and Kakashi's jutsus had been preformed at the same time and had been combined to form the strange outcome they were facing now. "If there was a specific jutsu that caused this type of effect, it would surly be forbidden. The results are the closest thing to an immortality jutsu I've seen..." He turned back to Kakashi, "...hmm, I'll continue to research this. Until then, Naruto, Sakura, and Sasuke are all under you care."

"W-What-?' Kakashi's visible eye widened in surprise. "But, I can't-"

"It's a mission, not a request," the Hokage interrupted, sounding, ironically, like Kakashi had earlier. "You will report any other "side-effects" of the jutsu to me."

"But Sakura's parents-"

"-Are not ninja's and wouldn't know what to do if something serious happened," the Hokage interrupted again. "All of them are now your mission, to stay with you at all times," Kakashi just nodded his response. "Alright, you can go break the news to them."

"Yes, Hokage-sama" Kakashi said while bowing to the older man, he turned and started toward the door.

"Oh, Kakashi." He turned his head to face the Third. "You might want to buy those kids some better clothes, there's no telling how long they'll remain in this state."

Kakashi sighed and silently exited the peaceful room, he closed the large wooden doors behind him and turned to his team. All three five year olds appeared grave, expecting the worse since they had been told to wait outside of the Hokage's office. Kakashi was unsure of how to tell them, they all looked so innocent, sitting on a plain wooden bench, their feet didn't even reach the floor. He almost sighed again, but instead put on a smile, as he sometimes did in tough situations.

"So, you guys will be staying with me for a while." He said to the depressed youngsters. They stared at him, questions apparent in their eyes. "It's my mission to look after you three." Kakashi wondered how they would take the news.

"What about the Hokage? Doesn't he know how to reverse what ever 's happened to us?" Sasuke was the first to ask, all three waited for the answer.

"Not...exactly." Kakashi continued to smile, he scratched to back of his head nervously.

"WHAT?" Sakura burst out, she pointed accusingly at Kakashi. "You said he would!"

"I know I did, it's just a matter of time until the Hokage figures out what happened and can fix it." Kakashi reasoned with the angry girl. "It won't be long at all, Sakura."

"Aww man, you mean I have to stay like this longer..? Everyone'll think I'm a girl..." Naruto stared down at his pink clothing sadly.

"Naruto, you'll get different clothes," Kakashi did sigh this time. He noticed Sasuke hadn't really said anything yet, the dark haired boy had his head down and was dealing with the situation on his own. Sakura leaned forward and slid off of the bench, landing on her feet, she seemed determined not to cry.

"I guess I can't go see my parents, then," she tried her hardest to sound nonchalant, not worried. But she still looked up to her sensei for an answer.

"Well, not for a couple of days, then you can ask the Hokage if it's alright." Kakashi replied, he was tempted to pull out his favorite book from his pocket, just to lighten the situation. But Sakura just nodded and turned to the door, waiting for the rest of her team to decide it was time to go. Naruto slid off the bench as well, he seemed to be fine, but Kakashi didn't know if he understood the situation yet. Sasuke silently followed his comrades' lead, not looking up but keeping his gaze straight ahead, hiding any emotions he felt.

They left the building in silence, walking along the dark streets toward Kakashi's home. As he led the three children to his house, Kakashi wondered if his new mission would be a difficult one.

MISSION!MISSION!MISSION!MISSION!MISSION!MISSION!MISSION!MISSION!

Ahh! It's shorter then my last one... but I just wanted to post right away so I stopped it there. I know it's kind of rushed, I just had to get all of that stuff out of the way before I could move on. I hope it was alright to read though.. I'm always so tired when I write that I go back and read it later and notice mistakes. Ah, oh well, I guess, nobody has said anything about them yet... but I promice the story'll get better next chapter, Believe it!

PS: I do love post note, they're like baby notes, so cute... anyway, please review... or Kakashi will be the first to go! Mwa ha ha ha! Do I have what it takes to kill off one of my favorite characters? Better review so you never find out! Just Kidding... really...

PPS: So this is the grandchild of the note?


	5. sleep

Sorry I'm late, I got lost on the road of life. Here's the next chapter, I tried to keep everyone in character, but it was a little harder this time. Thanks for all the great ideas! And reviews, they make me update sooner ( guilt -;;) I'd like to take this opportunity to warn you readers (you know who you are) against possible fluffy cheese...Without further ado, the story!

Sleep...Sleep...Sleep...Sleep...Sleep...Sleep...Sleep...Sleep...Sleep...Sleep...Sleep...Sleep...Sleep...

Recap:

"I guess I can't go see my parents, then," she tried her hardest to sound nonchalant, not worried. But she still looked up to her sensei for an answer.

"Well, not for a couple of days, then you can ask the Hokage if it's alright." Kakashi replied, he was tempted to pull out his favorite book from his pocket, just to lighten the situation. But Sakura just nodded and turned to the door, waiting for the rest of her team to decide it was time to go. Naruto slid off the bench as well, he seemed to be fine, but Kakashi didn't know if he understood the situation yet. Sasuke silently followed his comrades' lead, not looking up but keeping his gaze straight ahead, hiding any emotions he felt.

They left the building in silence, walking along the dark streets toward Kakashi's home. As he led the three children to his house, Kakashi wondered if his new mission would be a difficult one.

Sleep...Sleep...Sleep...Sleep...Sleep...Sleep...Sleep...Sleep...Sleep...Sleep...Sleep...Sleep...Sleep...

A bloated yellow moon hung low in the sky as four pairs of feet wearily climbed a flight of wooden stairs, stopping at the top. Kakashi sunk his heavily bandaged hand into his pants pocket, searching for the keys to the apartment's front door. He pulled out the keys and set about unlocking the door blocking the way into the apartment as three children shifted impatiently behind him. He smiled back at the toddlers as he opened the door and held it open for the genin team to enter.

They entered after a moments hesitation, none sure of what to expect, or how to behave in the current situation. The apartment was dark, so dark that not one of the members of team seven could see past their nose. Kakashi made the situation even worse when he closed the front door after entering the room himself. Somebody in the room let out a small squeak as the overwhelming blackness surrounded everything.

"Uh, just hold on a second," Kakashi said to whomever had made the embarrassing noise. A moment later the lights flickered on and flooded the smallish area with their yellow glow, earning expressions of relief from all three genin.

The apartment was a mess. Now fully lit, team seven could see the pit of discarded clothes, orange books, and various garbage that their sensei called his home. Naruto twitched slightly to the left, thinking he had seen something move in a particularly large pile of trash, Sakura surveyed the scene with an expression of shock, while Sasuke seemed to be disgusted. The embarrassing squeak was forgotten by all three, all were too surprised at the filth they had to stay in to question who had done it. Kakashi grinned sheepishly while scratching the back of his head.

"Yeah, I was going to clean up earlier, but then the mission..." Kakashi continued to grin. "Well, I'll get the place cleaned up tomorrow." Sasuke turned and started toward the door, intending to leave. He reached up for the doorknob when the jounin stopped him. "Hey, Sasuke. You're staying here remember?"

"There's no way I'm spending a night here, I'll catch something," the boy retorted sharply. "I bet even Naruto's place isn't this bad." Naruto appeared thoughtful for a moment, then nodded his head, agreeing with his team member.

"It's not as bad as it looks," the older nin protested weakly. "You don't smell anything bad, do you?" Sasuke inhaled sharply through his nose twice before shaking his head no. Kakashi nodded and glanced around the living room they stood in, then turned back to his team. "Good!You guys will be sleeping here, " he announced brightly.

"Where!" Sakura pointed to the floors, every spot was covered by some discarded item. Kakashi stepped to the middle of the room and began to clear a patch of floor by pushing the trash to one side with his feet. He turned to one of the larger piles and threw everything on top to a side, revealing a couch underneath. He held up a hand to signal that the three should wait, and walked over to a closet located in the short hallway to the bedroom and bathroom.

Kakashi headed back to the living room, three sleeping bags, normally used for longer ninja missions, in his arms. He spread two of the green bags out on the recently cleared ground and laid the other on the couch.

"Okay," he turned to the group of children. "So, why don't you all get some rest now?" Kakashi asked the genin to go to sleep, but it really hadn't been a request. Naruto, oblivious to his teammates dark moods, ran ahead and jumped onto the couch.

"I call the couch!" He yelled out, grinning triumphantly.

"No way! I am not sleeping on the floor!" Sakura marched up to the blonde haired boy angrily. "Who knows what could be hiding in all of this garbage!"

"That's okay. Sakura-chan. I'll share with you," Naruto said smiling at the girl, he suddenly turned to Sasuke. "But not Sasuke! He can sleep on the ground for all I care!"

"I'm sleeping on the couch, Naruto," the pink haired girl nearly growled out as she climbed onto said couch. She roughly pushed the smaller boy onto the ground. "You'll sleep on the floor."

"Awww," Naruto whined loudly, as he climbed into one of the sleeping bags on the floor. Sakura ignored him as she crawled into her own bag, watching as Sasuke did the same.

"See you all in the morning," Kakashi said cheerfully, as he turned off the lights and headed to his own bedroom, leaving all three in complete darkness. Soon, the only sound was the steady breathing of those in the room, no light or sound could enter the apartment from outside it seemed.

"Hey, you guys..." A small whisper broke the silence, the frightened voice of Naruto. "It's really dark here isn't it?"

"It's night, loser." Sasuke said quietly. "Just go to sleep and you won't notice."

"It's never this dark were I live..."

Sleep...Sleep...Sleep...Sleep...Sleep...Sleep...Sleep...Sleep...Sleep...Sleep...Sleep...Sleep...Sleep...

"Dammit!" Sasuke sat up suddenly, careful not to wake up Sakura or Naruto. He shifted slightly in the sleeping bag and almost swore again when he realized that he had been right. The small boy tried to look around the room, sheer panic in his eyes, but it was too dark to see anything. He stood up slowly and picked his sleeping bag up, he paused and only began to move when he heard Sakura's even breathing and Naruto's light snores. Using his team's chakras to guide him, Sasuke managed to maneuver around the room and down the hall to the room he felt his sensei's chakra in. The boy stood on his toes to reach the handle and gently pushed open the door.

"Sasuke?" A quiet voice questioned, not if it was him, but what he was doing. Sasuke entered the much brighter room, the moon shone in through the open window allowing the boy to vaguely see the older ninja sitting up in his bed.

"Kakashi-sensei.." The boy's voice was worried, he still held his sleeping bag in his arms.

"What is it, Sasuke?" Kakashi asked, now worried that something was wrong. The Uchiha shifter from foot to foot nervously, he seemed unsure of what to say. The usually stonic boy fought for control of his emotions.

"I-I..." He looked at his feet. "I don't know why it happened! I haven't done this since I was six!" He looked back up at Kakashi desperately.

"What is it, Sasuke...?" Kakashi asked again.

"I _ALWAYS _wake up if I have to go to the bathroom in the middle of the night.." Sasuke said, voice filled with regret, staring at the sleeping bag in shame. Kakashi's eyes widened in surprise, with a sigh he got out of bed and took the wet bundle from the boy's hands. "It was an accident, sensei!" Dark eyes peered up at the jounin, shining from withheld tears.

"It's alright, Sasuke," Kakshi sighed tiredly, patting the boy's dark hair. He silently disappeared from the room, returning a moment later without the wet sleeping bag. "I don't know if I have anything else for you to wear..." Kakashi mumbled thoughtfully, then turned to a wooden dresser. He began to rummage around and found his smallest black tee-shirt and a pair of swimming trunks with a drawstring. "Here,"he handed the new clothes to the Uchiha boy, who took then while staring at his feet. "I'll get you some clothes that fit in the morning."

"Thanks," Sasuke mumbled to the carpet, he quickly changed into the clothes that were much too big on him. Kakashi wordlessly picked up the soiled pink outfit and took it to wherever the bag had gone. He returned and ruffled Sasuke's hair once more.

"Don't worry, it's just a result of the jutsus combining, it'll go away when you return to your normal age." He tried to comfort the genin.

"Um, Kakashi-sesnsei?" A new voice grabbed the jounin's attention, he looked to the doorway.

"Yes, Naruto?"

A frightened Naruto stood in the doorway, blue eyes wide under a giant sleeping cap. His cheeks glistened with shed tears he stepped closer. "I had a really bad dream... can I sleep with you?" The boy whimpered, not even bothering to question what his teammate was doing.

Kakashi sighed again, "Alright, Naruto." He looked down at Sasuke, "But Sasuke is sleepin here as well."

"Okay," Naruto nodded his agreement and climbed into Kakashi's bed. The silver haired ninja picked up the now brooding Sasuke and placed him next to Naruto, then he laid down on, what was suppose to be, his bed. He pulled the blankets up to his chin and closed his eyes.

Naruto climbed under the covers as well, and Sasuke was soon to follow, both boys closed their eyes and quickly fell asleep. Kakashi was about to fall back asleep when he was woken yet again.

"Kakashi-sensei...?" Sakura now stood in the doorway, tears dripping down her face. She continued to cry softly as she took a hesitant step forward, rubbing at her chubby baby cheeks. "I woke up and Sasuke and Naruto were gone."

"It's alright, Sakura," He said quietly, trying not to wake up the sleeping boys. "They're both here with me, you can sleep here tonight if you want, too," The girl nodded her head and crawled into bed next to him, falling asleep so fast Kakashi wondered if she had even been fully awake to begin with. He fell asleep soon after, Naruto against his right side, Sakura curled up to his left, and Sasuke holding onto his right hand with his fist.

Sleep...Sleep...Sleep...Sleep...Sleep...Sleep...Sleep...Sleep...Sleep...Sleep...Sleep...Sleep...Sleep...

I know it's short, I'm really sorry! I've had horrible writers block! It just hit me like a sack of rotten potatoes on a cold November's evening! Not to mention that the little "sleep" dividers are making me so so... well, sleepy. But I guess I did mention it, but..ok! Anyway, I am much too tired! Suggestions are really appreciated! Any ideas of what should happen to little team seven would be great! Thank!

PS: I got enough reviews to not kill off Kakashi... but not enough to save Sasuke! Mwa ha ha ha ha! Review to save the avenging Uchiha!


	6. Shopping hijinks's

I'm really sorry I haven't updated in so long! I've just been so busy recently that I haven't had time, but I promise to update again within a week! But, yeah, I got so any reviews for the last chapter! Yay! Oh, and one death threat, but it was only Sakura, what can she do? She's just a medic nin! Hahahahaha ha ha ha ha ha...ha... Uh, what I really meant to say was that all medical ninja's are great! The most talented of all the ninjas, they are! Yepo...

SHOPPING!SHOPPING!SHOPPING!SHOPPING!SHOPPING!SHOPPING!SHOPPING!

Recap:

"It's alright, Sakura," He said quietly, trying not to wake up the sleeping boys. "They're both here with me, you can sleep here tonight if you want, too," The girl nodded her head and crawled into bed next to him, falling asleep so fast Kakashi wondered if she had even been fully awake to begin with. He fell asleep soon after, Naruto against his right side, Sakura curled up to his left, and Sasuke holding onto his right hand with his fist.

SHOPPING!SHOPPING!SHOPPING!SHOPPING!SHOPPING!SHOPPING!SHOPPING!

"I like this one!" Sakura stood in front of a full length mirror, dressed in a simple pink summer dress, a few shades lighter then her hair. She turned to look at her Kakashi, who was leaning against the wall and reading his favorite book while his students picked out their new clothes. "Can I have it, Kakashi-sensei?" She asked sweetly.

"Sure," he replied without looking up.

"What about this one?" Sakura held up a light blue tank top for him to see, if he bothered to look up, which he didn't.

"Yeah, fine."

"And this one too?"

"Okay."

"What about these?"

"Just pick out whatever you want, Sakura," Kakashi said, still not paying attention.

"Thanks, Kakashi-sensei!" The small girl chirped, struggling to hold all the clothes she had chosen. She turned around and walked to the front counter, dropped the first load of outfits off, then went back to search for more.

"Kakashi-sensei, I'm huungrrryy," A small blond boy tugged on Kakashi's sleeve impatiently, his voice drawn out and whiny. Clutched in his small fist were a pair of black pants and an orange shirt, and nothing else. The jounin glanced down at him, then continued his "reading."

"We'll get some lunch after all of you guys finish shopping," Kakashi said in a bored fashion, again, not looking up from the pages before him. "Naruto, you still need shoes, underwear, and you should get some more shirts and pants then that."

Naruto pouted and crossed his arms, looking like a small child who had just been told they were not getting any dessert that night. "But I'm really hungry! I don't want to wait!" The smallest member of team seven threw the items he held to the floor angrily. He continued to stick out his bottom lip, as he waited for Kakashi to agree with him.

"We'll get food after you finish getting your new clothes, Naruto. Or, do you want to be called a girl again?" Kakashi continued to ignore the sulking five year old, mistaking his actions for normal 'Naruto behavior.' Sasuke and Sakura, however, watched the situation with interest.

"NO! No No No!" Naruto stomped one bare foot on the ground to emphasize his point. He was even angrier when the older ninja didn't even acknowledge him. "I want to get lunch NOW!" His voice had increased in volume and was now a high pitched scream. Kakashi looked away from his book to the upset child, his visible eye showed surprise yet again. But he was too late, Naruto was already well into a temper tantrum.

He kicked the clothes he had just picked out away from him, still screaming at the top of his lungs. His voice carried across the small shop easily and the clerk and the few other people shopping that afternoon stopped to stare at the silver haired jounin and his noisy "son." Kakashi started to panic, he could handle a group of homicidal enemies, but he had never had to deal with a screaming child before.

"Hey, Naruto," Kakashi tried to calm the genin. "It's okay, you can stop yelling..." He waved his hands in front of the boy's face to get his attention. The other adults in the store were sending him dirty looks, Kakashi ignored them as he spoke to his student. He wouldn't stop yelling, and Kakashi didn't know what to do, so he gave up. "Okay, we'll go eat," he sighed tiredly. Naruto's yells promptly came to a halt although the small five year old continued to pout. Kakashi turned away from the genin and walked out of the shop, not pausing to wait as his three students scrambled to follow.

"Way to go, Naruto," Sakura mumbled, obviously upset with her teammate. "Now Kakashi-sensei's angry." She and Sasuke both glared at Naruto as all three jogged to keep up with their teacher. They followed the jounin into a quiet restaurant, and sat down silently at a table.

The meal was ordered and the entire team seven ate in silence, even the number one hyperactive loudmouthed ninja. Naruto picked at his food, he had lost his appetite, and continually glanced up to see if Kakashi was still ignoring him. He sighed as he pushed some rice around his plate absently.

"I thought you were hungry," Kakashi spoke for the first time since they had started lunch, Sakura and Sasuke both pretended not to hear and kept eating.

"I was..." Naruto's voice came out small and uncertain. He looked up suddenly, "I'm sorry, Kakashi-sensei!" He looked back down at the table in front of him.

"It's fine, Naruto, don't worry about it." The reply was light and not angry at all, but Naruto was certain that Kakashi was just pretending to be alright with him.

"I really am sorry! I don't know why I did fat..." Naruto paused, and seemed confused. "I mean fat.. fat-fat fat fat fatfatfatfatfatatfatfatfatfatatfatfatfatfatatfatfatfatfatatfatfatfatfatatfatfatfatfat-"

"-Naruto, repeating the word isn't going to do anything." Kakashi interrupted, to the gratitude of everyone in the room. "Calm down, it's just another side effect." He reassured his student, while privately worrying about the new 'problem.'

"It's not fair!" He wined, completely forgetting about what he was saying before. "Nofing fis bad has happened to Sasuke or Sakura!" Kakashi didn't say anything, thinking about the previous night. "Why does it always have to be me..?" Naruto dropped his gaze and tears began to roll down his cheeks, he started sobbing quietly, seeming younger then five at that moment. Sasuke and Sakura were both silent as they watched their teammate; they had never seen Naruto cry that way before, he had always just grinned through tough situations.

"Naruto... it's okay, don't cry.."Sakura told him.

"It's not a big deal, crybaby." Sasuke attempted to be comforting in his own way.

Kakashi got up from the table and scooped the crying toddler into his arms, "Don't worry, just finish your lunch," he said to the children at the table as he walked away, Naruto was crying louder then before and Kakashi sighed as he left the restaurant, thankful that most people were either in school or work at that time of day. He walked over to a wooden bench against the side of the building and sat down, Naruto on his lap.

"Kakashi-sensei! Will you please turn me back now?" The little boy pleaded between sobs, his eyes wide with panic. "Please? I don't wanna be like fis anymore..." He held onto the jounin's vest tightly and buried his face against Kakashi's chest. "...please?" Kakashi froze, unsure of what to do in the situation, he wasn't good at consoling children, or anyone really.

"Naruto, I can't." He mumbled, running a hand through the boy's hair lightly. "I wish I could." The answer caused a fresh wave of cries from the distraught child. "Crying won't change anything, you know," he knew it was the wrong thing to say when Naruto got louder.

"B-but! But fen I'm gonna be like fis forever?" Kakashi sighed, and tried to avoid looking at the bright blue eyes that stared up at him.

"I don't know," he said truthfully. " The Hokage will probably be able reverse whatever's happened."

"But what if he can't?" The child seemed truly scared.

"Well, there's worse things then being five again, you could have all been killed." Kakashi was beginning to worry that his team _were_ going to be stuck as children, the situation wasn't turning out the way he thought it would, he had figured that they would all be back to normal in a day or so at the most.

"No! Fere isn't anyfing worse!" Naruto yelled at him angrily, immediately burying his face in Kakashi's vest afterward. Kakashi was surprised by the sudden outburst, he tried to pry the child away from him to figure out what was wrong but Naruto wouldn't budge.

"Why isn't there anything worse, Naruto?" He asked quietly. There was a pause and finally there came a soft reply, too low for Kakashi to hear, "Naruto?"

"...Because I'll be all alone again," came the sullen reply. Kakashi wasn't expecting the hyperactive genin to say that, he wrapped his arms around the child without pausing to think.

"...Naruto..." He said sadly, understanding why he was so upset. "You don't have to worry about that. You have me, Sakura, and Sasuke, we're a team now, remember?"

"You won't say fat if we stay like fiss..."

Kakashi shook his head, "We'll always be a team, no matter what happens." Naruto gazed up at him apprehensively, not sure if he should believe him.

"Really?" He asked in a small voice, holding onto the jounin as though he was afraid Kakashi would change his mind.

"Of course." Kakashi smiled, a real smile, and patted the boy's head. Naruto grinned and threw his arms around his sensei's neck, nearly choking the older ninja. They stayed that way for a moment, until Naruto pulled away from the embrace. He seemed to be concerned about something. "What's wrong?"

"What about my clofes, Kakashi-sensei?" He asked in a distraught voice. "I really don't like fese pink ones."

"Sasuke and Sakura should be done eating by now," The silver haired ninja chuckled, relieved that Naruto was back in a 'normal' mood. "We'll get them and leave."

"Wait!"

"What is it, Naruto?"

"Are you still going to train us while we're little, Sensei?" Naruto asked, looking up at the older nin innocently. His bright blue eyes were wide and his cheeks were still streaked with fallen tears, even Kakashi melted a bit at the boy's adorable inquiry.

"No, we won't be training until you're all back to normal."

"So, what should we call you 'till fen? If you're not gonna be our sensei 'till we're old again?" Naruto screwed up his face in concentration, trying to think of a good name.

SHOPPING!SHOPPING!SHOPPING!SHOPPING!SHOPPING!SHOPPING!SHOPPING!

Ok, so I know I said I wouldn't ask for any more suggestions, but I need to! Guess what I'm gonna ask! Just guess! ... Did you guess? Well, if you said, suggestions for what the mini team seven will call Kakashi, you're right! I can't decide, something cute would be good! But not too cute, you know?

Oh, and I definitely got enough reviews to save Sasuke! So I will not be killing off any characters... for now. Hahahahaha ha ha! OK, I really am just kidding! No one's gonna die because of a lack of reviews! Really...

PS: remember when Ren (from "Ren and Stimpy") was split in two, and instead of one of his two half being good and the other evil, one was indifferent and the other was evil? It was so funny, well, I thought it was...


	7. We all scream for ice cream

Sorry for the long wait on this chapter! I feel so bad about making you all wait so long!

I got so many reviews for the last chapter, they make me so happy! It's like eating delicious cherry ice cream, in word form! I had such a hard time deciding what Naruto would call Kakashi, thanks for all of the great suggestions!

Ice Cream!Ice Cream!Ice Cream!Ice Cream!Ice Cream!Ice Cream!Ice Cream!Ice Cream!Ice Cream!

Recap:

"Are you still going to train us while we're little, Sensei?" Naruto asked, looking up at the older nin innocently. His bright blue eyes were wide and his cheeks were still streaked with fallen tears, even Kakashi melted a bit at the boy's adorable inquiry.

"No, we won't be training until you're all back to normal."

"So, what should we call you 'till fen? If you're not gonna be our sensei 'till we're old again?" Naruto screwed up his face in concentration, trying to think of a good name.

Ice Cream!Ice Cream!Ice Cream!Ice Cream!Ice Cream!Ice Cream!Ice Cream!Ice Cream!Ice Cream!

"Think about it later, Naruto. We should get back to Sasuke and Sakura," Kakashi lifted the small boy off of his lap and stood up, ready to return to the others, he turned back when he felt a tug on his pant leg.

"Fanks, Kakashi-sensei," Naruto said, smiling shyly. "I'll go ahead and finish my lunch!" The child let go of his sensei and darted toward the restaurant's entrance without a single glance back, Kakashi just shook his head in amusement. As he made his way to the table where his team sat, he heard Sakura yelling at Naruto to slow down before he choked on his food.

"Are you all ready to go?" He asked like he really didn't care, while making sure Naruto didn't choke from the corner of his eye.

"Yeah, I'm done!" Naruto declared as he pushed away an empty plate and slid off of his chair. His face was a mess of rice and multi colored sauces, he even managed to get a few grains of rice in his hair. He smiled at the jounin above him, oblivious to the odd looks he was getting from his teammates.

"You got some rice, uh, everywhere," Sasuke said, a smirk on his face. The raven haired boy stared at the mess in front of him, wondering how the other boy managed to get food everywhere besides his mouth. Sakura giggled at the comment and nodded her head in agreement, she was very neat while eating and also wondered how Naruto managed to make such a mess without even trying.

"Huh? I do?" Naruto looked down at his shirt, which was also covered by the sticky mess, and shrugged. "Oh, well. I don't like fis shirt anyway." Kakashi just sighed and turned back toward the doorway.

"Come on," he said tiredly, the three children followed him without any argument. They began walking back to the clothing store, Kakashi thankful for the brief pause in chatter. As they entered the building, Kakashi pretended not to notice the disproving looks he got from the people who had witnessed Naruto's fit and instead motioned for his team to find some clothes. All three split up and the Copy Nin decided it was safe to bring out his beloved book.

"Sakura-chan?" Naruto wandered up to the girl, who had finished picking out her outfits the first time they had been in the store and was now waiting for the others to finish. He self consciously wiped at his mouth, thinking that there might still be rice on his face.

"Yeah, Naruto?"She answered, her voice was quieter then it usually was, she seemed to be thinking about something troubling.

"I was wondering if you'd help me pick out my new clofes, y'know cause fere's not much orange stuff, and fat's my favorite color and you seem to be really good at shopping!" Naruto gave her his best grin, both to try and convince her to help him, and to cheer his friend up.

"Uh, sure, ok. I'll help," Sakura smiled and nodded her head, happy to have something to do. She stood up from her seat on the ground and led the way into the boy's section, trying her best to avoid all orange, as she knew Naruto's taste in clothes and didn't feel like picking out a new orange jumpsuit. A pair of blue shorts grabbed her attention, they looked similar to the shorts Sasuke liked to wear, Sakura thought that they would suit Naruto as well. "What about these?" she asked, holding them up for Naruto to see.

"Oh, yeah! Fose are so cool!" Naruto held out a orange shirt, with the leaf symbol on the front, to Sakura, "Fe'll go wif fis shirt I found!"

Sakura sighed at the sight of the bright orange, but she had to admit that the shirt would indeed go with the shorts, it was actually a pretty nice shirt. "Yeah, it'll look good together," she smiled at Naruto and the two continued their search.

Ice Cream!Ice Cream!Ice Cream!Ice Cream!Ice Cream!Ice Cream!Ice Cream!Ice Cream!Ice Cream!

"What are we doing next , Sensei?" Sasuke asked suddenly, head tilted slightly to one side as he waited for an answer. They had just gotten back to the jounin's apartment, Kakashi still held the three large bags of the genin's things in his hands as he turned to the boy at the uncharacteristic comment. Neither Sakura or Naruto seemed not to notice their teammate's strange behavior, so he didn't mention it. Sasuke continued to smile up at the jounin, who decided to see just how different the mini avenger was becoming.

"Well, we could clean up the house, or, we could get some ice cream..." Kakashi replied thoughtfully.

"Ice cream!" Sasuke answered quickly. Naruto and Sakura slowly nodded in agreement as they stared at the other boy, aware now that something was not quite normal with his behavior.

"Are you sure...?" The Copy Nin asked the boy, a serious air about him as he did. "I thought you were disgusted by my apartment."

Sasuke crossed his arm angrily and tried to glare at the jounin, but only succeeded in a childish pout, making him appear even younger. "Yeah, but I still want ice cream!"

"Hmmm, what?" Kakashi put the bags down on the worn, dark blue couch and pretended that he didn't hear what the small Uchiha had said. Sasuke stuck his bottom lip out further and stamped his foot angrily, reminding Kakashi of Naruto's behavior earlier, just before the screaming had started. "Heh, okay, Sasuke." he said quickly. "We can get some ice cream."

The boy brightened immediately and nodded his head, "Can I have cherry?" Kakashi just nodded his head yes. Sasuke suddenly paused as he realized what he had said. He turned back to his teammates, who were staring at him as though he had gone insane, he looked back to Kakashi then looked away quickly. "Whatever," he mumbled, embarrassed and trying to act like he didn't care about the ice cream anymore.

"Whatever?" Kakashi was far too amused for Sasuke's tastes. He waited for the Uchiha to reply, watching him though half-lidded eyes.

"Yeah, whatever. Just forget about it."

"About what?" The older nin questioned the youth, knowing exactly what he was talking about.

"Ice cream, I don't want any." Sasuke replied coldly, turning towards the door, intent on ignoring his sensei for the rest of the day.

"You're sure?" Kakashi asked one last time, shrugging his shoulders in a carefree manner when the boy didn't reply. " Alright," he turned his gaze to Naruto and Sakura. "Then I guess it's just us three." He paused for a moment, "After you guys change you clothes," he stared at Naruto, "And wash your face."

"Yeah! Ice cream!" Naruto cheered, though not as loudly as he normally would have. Kakashi thanked whatever force that was looking out for him, for the fact that Naruto was **less** loud when he was younger, there was only so much the jounin could take. "You should come too, Sasuke. It'll be fun! And we don't care if you're acting weird, do we, Sakura-chan?"

"Nu-uh," The bubblegum haired girl shook her head, agreeing with Naruto.

Sasuke seemed to consider this, he turned to face the group, Naruto and Sakura both smiled at him, and Kakashi was reading his book, again. He couldn't help himself, it was like he didn't have control of what he did or said anymore; he grinned at the two children before him and nodded his head.

Ice Cream!Ice Cream!Ice Cream!Ice Cream!Ice Cream!Ice Cream!Ice Cream!Ice Cream!Ice Cream!

Cherry ice cream dripped slowly down the side of the cone it occupied and onto the slightly chubby hand of the one holding it, marring the pale skin with it's bright red presence. The dark haired boy, owner of the ice cream and the hand, glared at melting dessert as though it had insulted him. He stood amid a small group of children, all enjoying their cool treat in the afternoon sun, vaguely aware that his newly appointed guardian was paying for his, and his teammate's, treats, while reading his "adult" book.

Kakashi seemed oblivious to the dirty looks he was receiving from the cashier and the parents that pulled their children away from him. He nonchalantly flipped the page of his favorite book and set the money for his genin's ice cream down on the counter, waiting for his change to appear so he could be on his way.

"_Sir_," the ice cream woman glared at the jounin in front of her, refusing to give the man his change yet. Kakashi lifted his eye from the page, although it seemed to pain him. "This is a family place," she gestured to the park surrounding the ice cream stand. "That kind of reading material is not appropriate here, there are children." She looked down at Naruto, Sakura, and Sasuke. "Do you really think you should be reading that in front of your kids?"

"Well, actually, they aren't my kids..." Kakashi told the woman, who dawned a strange expression at his words. Kakashi quickly realized that the woman thought that he had kidnapped the three tots, and tried to reassure her so he could get his change and leave. "Heh, yeah. They're my sister's kids."

"Oh," the woman's expression softened, "Well, it's nice that your taking care of your niece and nephews, but remember to put that book away when they're with you." She handed the copy nin his change as he nodded.

Kakashi turned and led the way away from the woman and out of the park, glad to be leaving the ice cream stand. The three genin's followed behind, Naruto glanced back at the woman at the stand and smiled.

"Uncle... Kakashi?" He said slowly, Kakashi stopped and turned back to Naruto.

"No." He knew what Naruto was thinking, and didn't like it.

"But you said you won't be teaching us while we're little, right?" The blond boy argued,

"I said no, Naruto," The older nin said, more forcefully this time. Sasuke suddenly realized what his rival was getting at and saw the opportunity to get back at his sensei for teasing him earlier, a small grin forced its was onto his face.

"Uncle Kakashi..." He said, tugging on the jounin's pant leg with his free hand. "Will you carry me? My legs hurt." Kakashi's eye widened in shock, well as much as it ever did, at the boy's request. He forgot about the new title Naruto had given him and nodded his head slowly. He never expected that from Sasuke, even with the condition he was in, he lifted the child up and balanced him on his hip with one arm. Sakura grinned, realizing what Sasuke was doing, and grabbed the copy nin's free hand in her own.

"Thanks for the ice cream, Uncle Kakashi," she said shyly, holding onto his gloved hand, just as she had held her parent's hands when she was small . Kakashi looked down to Sakura and paused as he realized what was happening. He turned back to Naruto, who stared back at him, a huge grin on his face; the jounin's shoulders slumped as he resined himself to the new name.

"Alright, Naruto, you win," he said. "But it's just until you guys get back to normal, got it?"

"Sure, Uncle Kakashi!" Came the cheerful reply. Kakashi sighed and led the way out of the park, ignoring the triumphant grins of his students, and turning the opposite way of his house when they reached the street. "Where're we goin' ?" Naruto asked as he looked around. "Your house is over fere, right?"

"Yeah, we just have one more thing to do before we go back," Kakashi assured Naruto, as well as Sakura and Sasuke who also seemed confused. Kakashi continued walking, his eye curved as he smiled behind his mask; he had found just the person he was looking for, sitting at the ramen shop up ahead.

Ice Cream!Ice Cream!Ice Cream!Ice Cream!Ice Cream!Ice Cream!Ice Cream!Ice Cream!Ice Cream!

It was so hard to chose from all the suggestions for Kakashi's new name, I was going to use the japanese word for uncle, but then realized I did not know what that was, and "uncle" doesn't make my spell check hate me. I'm sure everyone can figure out who Kakashi was looking for, well, maybe not... But I'm not telling! It's a surprise! XD

PS: Remember to review! Or giant zombie pirates will eat your brains! Ah!


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